A Spurt of Ailments

Shyamlal was a renowned physician who once set up camp in a bazaar adjacent to the landlord’s house. The landlord frequently summoned the physician, complaining of a myriad of diseases.

“I wonder why there is a sudden spurt of ailments in my body!” the landlord remarked one day. The physician remained silent, pondering the strange situation.

After a few days, the physician had to return to his village. As he took his leave of the landlord, he said, “Call me whenever the need arises!”

Six months passed, and during a visit to the bazaar, the physician unexpectedly met the landlord. Curious, he asked, “How is it that you never called me?”

“It has not been necessary,” replied the landlord. The physician then explained, “Do you now understand why you seemed to suffer from a spurt of ailments? Because I was available at hand, you could not resist the temptation to take as much advantage of me as possible!”